Area minor-league baseball notes: Pellegrini back home to rehab knee

Brian Pellegrini had a combined 34 home runs and 89 RBI in two minor-league stops in 2009.

The following spring, the South graduate and former St. Bonaventure standout had high hopes. Pellegrini thought he could make the jump from advanced-Class A Lancaster (Calif.) to Double-A Corpus Christi (Texas).

Then the first injury struck. It would become a common theme for the 6-foot-1, 240-pound outfielder and first baseman.

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"I came off a good year and go into spring training (in 2010), hoping to even break camp with the Double-A squad," Pellegrini said. "Then in my first intrasquad game (with Houston's minor-leaguers), I hit a home run and I was rounding first base and hurt my hernia."

Late in the season, Pellegrini injured his right knee. Last December, he had the dreaded microfracture surgery.

On May 25 of this year, Pellegrini -- a 12th-round pick by the Astros in 2007 -- was granted his release.

"I asked for my release from the Astros because I would have had to stay down in Florida to continue to rehab all summer," he said. "I had microfracture knee surgery, and that can take up until a year until you are fine. I was trying to play on it three months after. I tried to play four or five times in games (this past spring), and I just couldn't do it with my knee."

Instead of rehabbing in Florida, Pellegrini, 26, said he's living in Willoughby and training in his home state.

He hasn't given up hope of continuing his baseball career. But he's also realistic.

"I'm just taking it easy, getting my knee ready to go," Pellegrini said. "If any offers come calling, I'd be glad to come out. But it's tough for a team to sign me. I only played 50, 60 games last year."

From 2007 to '10, Pellegrini batted .254 with 172 runs scored, 71 homers and 204 RBI in 994 at-bats for three minor-league franchises -- all at various steps on the Class A ladder.

His career OPS (on-base plus slugging) is a solid .884, and he is averaging 43 homers per 600 at-bats.

"It's been a rough route these last couple years," Pellegrini said. "It's a shame what happened. But it's part of the game."

Big year for Bortnick

Mentor grad and former Coastal Carolina stalwart Tyler Bortnick is batting .302 with three home runs, 47 RBI, 57 runs, 22 stolen bases and an .835 OPS in 288 at-bats for advanced-Class A Charlotte (Fla.). He has five more walks (42) than strikeouts (37).

Bortnick, a 16th-round draft pick by the Rays in 2009, is a 5-11, 185-pound second baseman.

He was promoted to the Stone Crabs in 2010, after he batted .303 with eight homers, 45 RBI, 72 runs and 39 steals in 406 at-bats with Bowling Green (Ky.) of the Midwest League.

Short hops

-- Relief pitcher Jamie Walczak (Riverside) has appeared in five games for advanced-Class A Bakersfield (Calif.). In a combined 16 games for Bakersfield and Single-A Dayton of the Midwest League, Walczak is 2-0 with a 3.25 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 272/3 innings. He was a 15th-round selection by the Reds in 2009.

-- Outfielder Brad Coon (North) is batting .267 with 11 RBI and 10 steals for Class AA Chattanooga (Tenn). Coon, 28, is in his first season as a Dodgers minor-leaguer after six years in the Angels' organization. He reached as high as Triple-A with the Angels in 2008, '09 and '10.

-- First baseman Robert Maddox (VASJ) is hitting .228 with three homers and eight RBI in 57 at-bats for Billings (Mont.), a short-season Single-A affiliate of the Reds. Maddox, a former Ohio University standout, was an 18th-round choice by Cincinnati in 2010.

-- Infielder Ryan Rua, the first Lake Erie player to be drafted (17th round, 2011, by Texas), is playing for the Rangers' rookie-league team in Arizona. He is 6-for-16 (.375) with four RBI.